Martyrs’ Day, also known as Sarvodaya day or Shaheed Diwas, is annually observed across India on January 30 to pay tribute to all who sacrificed their lives for India. The day also marks the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, who was fondly called ‘Bapu’.
- 30th January 2023 marks the 75th anniversary of the Martyrdom Day of Mahatma Gandhi.
Martyrs’ Day or Shaheed Diwas is also observed across India on March 23 to commemorate the sacrifice of 3 young freedom fighters of India – Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru, and Sukhdev Thapar.
- 23rd March 2023 marks the 92nd death anniversary of the 3 freedom fighters.
About Mahatma Gandhi:
i. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on 2nd October 1869 in Porbandar, Gujarat. He was a lawyer, politician, social activist, and writer who rose to prominence in the nationalist movement opposing British rule in India.
ii. He assumed the leadership of the Indian National Congress (INC) (Congress Party) in 1921 and was named President of the Congress Party in 1924, serving for a year.
iii. He was internationally renowned for his nonviolent protest (satyagraha) idealogy for achieving political and social progress.
iv. He was assassinated on 30th January 1948 in the compound of BirlaHouse, New Delhi, Delhi by Nathuram Vinayak Godse, a Hindu nationalist from Maharashtra.
Honours to Mahatma Gandhi:
i. Mahatma Gandhi is the only Indian to be named the “Person of the Year” by the United States (US) news magazine “Time”. He was honoured in 1930. He was described as ‘Saint Gandhi’ in the Magazine.
ii. The Government of India launched the International Gandhi Peace Prize in 1995 on the occasion of the 125th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi as a tribute.
- The 1st recipient of the International Gandhi Peace Prize was Julius Nyerere in 1995.
Other Martyrs’ Day observed in India:
i. In the Barak Valley, May 19 is observed as Bhasha Shahid Divas (Language Martyrs’ Day), recognising the deaths of 11 people killed during the Bengali Language Movement
ii. The Queen of the Maratha-ruled princely state of Jhansi, Rani Lakshmibai’s birthday, November 19, 1828, is commemorated as Martyrs’ Day in honour of those who lost their lives in the rebellion of 1857, in which she was a leading figure.
iii. The death anniversary of the ninth Sikh Guru Tegh Bahadur on 24 November 1674, executed by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, is seen as Martyrs’ Day.
